"We've covered all those factions. Now, it's time to discuss your family's internal affairs, right?"

"Hold your horses. I was just about to."

Sinan Yuan paused for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts, then spoke slowly:

"First, the current head, Lord Sinan Zheng, is 49. That age isn't old by any means, but he's been in poor health for years, plagued by various illnesses. His days are numbered. It's improper for me to say this about my master... but even a fool knows there's no future in following a dying man. So most elders have joined the camps of the young masters they support. Only a handful of loyalists remain by Lord Zheng's side. Though his authority still lingers, his real power wanes day by day..."

So, the classic case of a hero in his twilight years?

"Next are the four young masters. The eldest, Sinan Xing, is 27 and unmarried. In terms of overall ability, he's undoubtedly the strongest. He's incredibly composed and rational, handling all the family's messy affairs with ease. Elder Hong once told me Lord Zheng privately admires him most. But compared to the second and third young masters, he lacks ruthlessness. Sometimes he can't compete, so his influence is weaker than the second young master's."

The textbook big brother type...

"The second young master, Sinan Feng, is 25. He has the largest faction—nearly half the elders back him. Intellectually, he can't match the eldest, but he's by far the most ruthless and domineering. 'Prosper with me, perish against me. Better to kill a thousand innocents than spare one enemy'—that sums up his character. It might seem brutish, but many elders support him precisely for that. He also has a weakness: he's lecherous. No woman he sets his eyes on escapes him. You must be extremely careful."

Holy crap... Isn't this the typical overpowered, arrogant protagonist? And my least favorite type—loud, domineering, and brainless. If I get messed with by that guy... I don't even want to think about it.

"As for the third young master, Sinan Qianming, and the fourth, Sinan Cheng... Outsiders say the Sinan Family has 'four sons vying for power,' but it should really be 'three.' Only those with exceptional detection Anomaly Powers qualify to inherit the headship. The third young master's power is of a different type."

"So the third young master isn't actually in the power struggle?"

"Quite the opposite. The fourth young master is widely seen as weak and incompetent, indecisive in everything. He's been utterly dependent on the third young master since childhood. So... I don't need to spell it out, right?"

Sinan Qianming wants to prop up Sinan Cheng as a puppet ruler, controlling things from behind the scenes. So only three are truly vying for power: Sinan Xing, Sinan Feng, and Sinan Qianming... This feels like perfect BL novel material.

"By the way, I heard from Sinan Ying she has an older sister?"

"Indeed. The eldest daughter is Sinan Xiao, a top student at the Central Union Academy."

"Sounds impressive. What's her influence in the family? Does she have... any ambitions?"

"Worried she'll manipulate the second young lady like the third young master? Don't worry. She's... how to put it... a very quiet person. She won't get involved in power struggles. You'll see when you meet her."

A quiet person? Come to think of it, Sinan Ying once said, "I'm not like my sister. I can't stand places full of books where you can't speak loudly." Could her sister be like me—someone who loves hanging out in libraries? If so, maybe we'll get along well.

The fading head, the steady eldest son, the domineering second son, the cunning third son, the weak fourth son, the quiet eldest daughter, the naive second daughter, a massive family, factions as numerous as stars...

Somehow, I'm getting a bit excited.

---

"Xiao Ye, Xiao Ye, we're here! Right here... whoops!"

Ah, I tripped. A flat-ground fall.

"Don't rush me... I'm pulling!" I grunted and strained to yank out the sword case stuck in the car door. Inside was, of course, the trusty Energy Blade that had saved my life. Since the beast tide incident, I hadn't let it out of my sight.

Before me... a bamboo forest?

Countless emerald bamboos densely packed into an endless wall of green. What amazed me was their height. On Earth, the tallest bamboo I'd seen was about ten meters. I'd heard of Yunnan's giant dragon bamboo reaching thirty or forty meters, but these averaged over forty—taller than the Imperial Capital's walls!

The Sinan Family's main estate must be behind this absurdly huge bamboo forest. It's hard to believe they cultivated this wall just for scenery. There must be some hidden purpose...

"Welcome back, Second Young Lady, Elder Hong, Captain Sinan Yuan. No vehicles allowed from here on. It's the old rule. Please understand." A group in silver-gray uniforms approached. Their leader wore a blue-gray uniform like Sinan Yuan's—likely another captain.

"You've worked hard too, Captain Sinan Xiang. Let's go," Sinan Yuan said.

"This must be..." Sinan Xiang noticed me. I silently pulled my hood lower, almost covering my entire face.

"Ye. Mentioned in our communications. The young lady's new companion," Sinan Yuan explained.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ye. Welcome." Sinan Xiang extended his hand.

I reached out and shook it lightly. In that instant—

"!!"

An intense heat surged from his palm. My hand's temperature spiked instantly, as if pierced by countless scorching needles. Unbearable.

This guy is testing me! A month ago, I'd have panicked. But now...

Blood seeped from my skin, instantly condensing into countless tiny, angular Blood Crystal particles at my will. The moment they touched his skin, they pierced through!

In less than two seconds, we let go. My hand was red; his had a few blood streaks—minor injuries.

"What's wrong, Xiao Ye? Stop dawdling!" Sinan Ying called from ahead. From her angle, it probably looked like a normal handshake...

"My apologies, but I had to test the caliber of the Second Young Lady's first personally chosen aide," Sinan Xiang whispered, bowing his head slightly.

Is it really just curiosity... How do I know which young master you support?

Sensing my doubt, Sinan Yuan whispered beside me, "Don't worry. Sinan Xiang belongs to the Courtyard Guard, directly under the current head. He doesn't favor any faction. And I know him well—he's not a villain."

Hearing that, I relaxed, nodded to Sinan Xiang, and hurried after Sinan Ying.

"How strong is she? You're best at probing others' strength, right?"

"Just a handshake. Hard to tell, but... she's probably stronger than both of us."

"Is that so... Good."

"By the way, is she really as beautiful as you said? Her upper face is hidden by the hood, the lower in shadow. I can't see at all."

"Don't worry about that. At least she's no less beautiful than Lunara Tartalia!"